25 youth activists who are standing trail in the Gambia for organizing a protest without permit have been denied bail by Judge presiding over their case. Defense lawyers had earlier applied for the activists be granted bail but the judge, Justice Ottaba, who is a Nigerian by nationality refused on the grounds that they could be a threat to national security and the broader economic interest of the Gambia.
The activists were arrested on April 14th and charged with seven counts including unlawful assembly, incitement of violence, procession without a permit and conspiracy after a peaceful protest demanding electoral reforms in the Gambia.
The whereabouts of the leader of the youth Solo Sandeng still remains unknown as concern mounts that he may not be alive. However, the following people were produced in court: Lamin Sonko, Baboucarr Gitteh, Baba Ceesay, Modou Touray, Ebrima Janko Ceesay, Lamin Camara, Alhagie Jammeh, Lansana Beyai, Lamin Jatta, Lamin Marong, Ebrima Jadama, Pa Ousman Njie, Kekuta Yabo, Bubacarr Jah, Muhammed Jawneh, Baboucarr Touray, Saderr Secka, Alhagie Fatty, Kafu Bayo, Ebrima Jabang, Fatoumata Camara, Fatoumata Jawara, Kalilu Saidykhan and Modou Ngum.
One of the main appeal grounds by the defense attorneys for bail to be granted to the accused is that they need urgent medical attention which is otherwise not available at the state Central Prison, Mile II.
But the presiding judge ruled against the argument forwarded by the defense lawyers. Instead he said: “there is adequate medical facility at the Mile II prisons.” He said granting bail to the activists “will send a bad signal to the society.”
Meanwhile, peaceful protests continued at the high court premises by a broad section of Gambians. Many of the protesters were however rounded up and detained on Tuesday after clashes with riot police in Banjul and West Field area of Serekunda.
In a similar development, Police in Banjul briefly detained the husband of detained Opposition youth Leader on Monday, Fatoumata Jawara outside the court premises but released later in the night.
The United Democratic Party has meanwhile issued a statement saying it is deeply concerned about the “overzealous response of Gambia’s security forces to court goers who have peacefully converged at the High Court in Banjul to demand the unconditional release of UDP leader and his co accused.”
The UDP in its statement said: “The crowds were assaulted by members of the security forces including the discharge of firearms causing numerous injuries. The UDP is assessing the situation to determine whether there are any fatalities.
“For the first time since the court case started, we have seen a combined group of police and the army deployed in the streets blocking all roads leading to the court. The army that has no training in crowd control has been principally overzealous splitting court goers into smaller groups while barricading others making it difficult for the crowd to move around. This situation has led to angry scenes causing some fracas,” the statement says.
The UDP says what is happening The Gambia is a government “deliberately embarking on a course of orchestrated violence against unarmed protesters exercising their right to movement and assembly and would bear full responsibility for the consequences of their illegal actions.”
The UPD condemned what it called “the unprovoked violence directed at unarmed civilians who gathered to show solidarity at the court hearing of lawyer Ousainou Darboe and his colleagues in Banjul today May 9th 2016.”
The UDP statement says it was alerting the international community particularly member countries of ECOWAS of this escalating situation. The party said it would hold the Gambia government responsible for any causality.
The party finally call on all Gambians of conscience to stand together and fight for a country that is not predatory, oppressive and violent toward the citizenry that constitute it.
